Apocalypse Demise
by Garali
Summary: It is a bit on the science fiction side, but if you like final fantasy, you should enjoy this
1. Prologue

Apocalypse Demise (Prologue)   
  
  
He walked to the desk and sat down. He turned on the computer screen. He had decided to look over his journal logs again. Every evening he found himself reading it over and over again. Having little contact with the outside world, he felt it was his only view of what was, or even, what could be. Pictures of trees, and animals filled his mind. He had always taken those things for granite. But ever since the appearance of the daemons, he hasn't been able to leave the safety of the dome. He lived with his mother and father for the past 2 years. The journal started with a brief description of the events that had occurred, bringing him to such a loss. The dates were missing though, he was writing things days or even weeks after they had happened, and decided they just weren't important. It started about 2 years ago. The daemons started appearing throughout major cities. It started as a small problem, a couple of attacks by them, but police were able to control them. Eventually, there numbers began to increase, and there origin could not be found. They really started to rattle the locals. The looked so frightening, most people ended up dieing of fear, rather then the lethal blades and claws. They look like oversized dogs, and their skin was completely bald, and looks as if it is covered in burn scares. Their four legs seemed brought up to there sides more and these limbs seemed more limber and movement was quick for these creatures of death. They also wield two, scythe like blades from the sides of them, sort of like arms. Their heads were shaped outwards more, and their teeth were long and pointed. They also had pincer-like, claws around their mouths, making them terrible things to look at. After no more then a month after their first appearance, entire towns had to be evacuated because of there destructive power, and massive numbers. The military and nuclear weapons were used to control these monsters, but after everyone was killed, another took its place. After countless loses, one man peaked from the surface. A true hero in his time. He had new, innovative ideas of how to fight the daemons. His name was Dr. Slate, and he had invented a way to use the human spirit as an energy source to battle these daemons. His first design was the dampeners. The way the daemons hunt humans is by the sense of there life force. The dampeners are simple devices that take human spirit and use it to mask it. This new technology was able to mask entire buildings. The daemons were unable to detect the human life, and they didn't seem to be smart enough to figure things out. This is the device that is built into the dome that he and his parents live in. He has not seen the outside world for 2 years, and only his journals seemed to keep him going. After many hours, of perpetual rereading, he finally went to sleep. Hoping that one-day, there would be a cure for these reached creatures that plague are fair world. 


	2. The rescue

Chapter 1, The rescue   
  
  
Dreams of daemons and death filled his head. This night's sleep was deep but would yield no energy in the morning. Garali was running from these daemons. Running for his life while watching others being killed around him. He had this dream almost every night. It was mainly based on what he experienced during the time before he lived in the dome and when the daemons first arrived. It seemed like only luck had let him and his parents survive. His sleep was interrupted though. Loud sirens blared. He shook awake and sat straight up. He was just in time to hear his father scream to him. -Garali's father- "Hurry, get up, we have to go!" He jumped from his bed a got on his clothes. The sirens were still ringing in his ears. What could be the problem seemed like the only thing on his mind. -Garali- "what is going on? What is the hurry?" He was running now, from his room and fallowing his parents down hallways. -Garali's mother- "We have a situation. Last nights electrical storm knocked out the dampeners!" -Garali- "What? What does that mean? Does that mean the daemons are coming for us?" -Garali's father- "The daemons are already here. All that is stopping them right now are our walls." -Garali- "Then what are we going to do?" The stopped in front of a doorway. He remembered this doorway. He was told never to try and open it. He had never seen what was on the other side. His father placed his hand on the sensor on the right of the door, and the door swooshed open. A large room stood before them, with computer terminals on either side. The roof had a large, circular pattern on it, with a diameter of maybe several meters. There was also a similar pattern on the floor. It seemed to be around the same size as the one on the roof. -Garali's father- "This is the last room we will ever see. Quickly, we don't have much time." -Garali's mother- "Understood. I'll set up the escape pods, and you get the distress signal out." With that, both his parents went to opposite sides of the room, each on a different terminal. Their fingers seemed to move like lightning, pressing buttons and scanning read-outs. -Garali- "Is there anything I can do? Can I help with something?" -Garali's father- "No, I'm sorry, but you can't help. We never taught you how to work these controls. We have everything under control, just stay calm." His father then turned toward the speaker on the terminal. -Garali's father- "Help, our dampener is down, and we are under siege by daemons. We are about to lunch our escape pods, please assist on pick up. There, the message is sent. It will be sent in all directions, on all frequencies and in 30-second intervals. I will now open the escape hatch. How are you doing with the pods?" By the end of his words, he heard the sound of gears and metal moving. He noticed as the pattern on the floor began to open, in a spiral shape coming outwards. Inside he could see three identical pods lined up beside each other. Those must be what we are to escape in. -Garali's mother- "Something is wrong, the pods are jammed!" -Garali's father- "I will help in a second, I have to open the hatch first." This time his father's words were accompanied with a more unpleasant sound. He could hear clawing and bashing noises against the door they had come in. Then the pattern on the roof opened just the same as the one on the floor had. Once it was open, he could see the sky. He had not seen it for the longest time. His father pushed past him and assisted his mother at the pod controls. Their fingers moving even faster now. He noticed out of the corner of his eye, a single daemon's claw pierce through the doorway and rip a large cut in it. -Garali's father- "It is no good, they are too old. The pods are stuck and there is nothing we can do. God, help us all!" He stood in astonishment, as the daemons had no trouble slicing through the door that must have been many inches thick. He could see it's head now, bearing teeth and glancing every which way. Something seemed to glide down the escape hatch from the roof. It looked like what he could only call, an android like figure. It looked humanoid, but it was covered in plates of metal and was wielding a sword. The sword was somewhat thin and seemed to have a little curve to it. -Mystery figure- "We heard your distress call." -Garali's father- "We have no time, just take the boy and get out of here!" With that he felt the android put it's arms around him. He watched in horror as the daemons broke through the door, and moved faster then anything he had ever seen. He was in the air now, floating upwards, outside the dome. Before he finally cleared it though, he saw his parents be torn to pieces. -Garali- "No! Mother! Father!" -Mystery figure- "It is too late to save them. Come on, we can still save you. Black stallion's, we have the survivor. We can return to base now." He looked down and saw six other androids. Each with a black tint to the metal and spears instead of a sword. They were positioned in a circle around the escape hatch. They seemed to put up a kind of barrier around it. The daemons were beating on this barrier but to no prevail. Suddenly, the barrier was dropped and the androids were in the air with them. Garali was in tears now. -Mystery figure- "Okay, I understand you are upset, but we at least got to save you. By the way, what is your name?" He noticed that the android must have been trying to keep him calm. Many more daemons were fallowing them. These daemons had wings and seemed to bob back and forth as the flapped their wings, speeding towards them. -Garali- "My name is Garali, what is yours, or do you have a number or something?" The android seemed to laugh silently to itself after the remark. -Mystery figure- "My name is Katana and those others are the Black Stallions. Do you know anything about the weapons used with fighting the daemons?" -Garali- "No, not really?" -Katana- "Do you know anything about the dampeners?" -Garali- "Yes, I know Dr. Slate came up with the design. And I also know it keeps the daemons from smelling human life force." -Katana- "That is correct, but Dr. Slate also made other devices before he disappeared. One of which is the weapon that is carrying you right now. I am not really here; I am really at the base right now. Well, in a way I am here, but..." She seemed to trail off, and he didn't really understand what she was trying to say. -Katana- "Okay, I have trouble explaining how this works. I will let the commander explain it to you when we arrive." He could see a building off in the horizon. At the speed they were moving, it didn't take long to reach it. It was a very large structure. Maybe 20 times as large as the dome he lived in. There was a large hatch in a square like shape on the side of it. As we got close, he could feel them pass through the dampeners. It was a cool feeling, but he was just glad to be within its safety. They landed in the base and a man was waiting for them there. -Man- "Hurry, inside now! That includes you Black stallions. I have decided that the Silver knights will deal with the daemons." -Katana- "That there is the commander. He doesn't care much for the Black stallions as you can tell." Seven other androids rushed past in the opposite direction. Each had a shinier metal then the others and they all wielded a sword. These swords were different though, broader and without that curve to them. Once they were outside the hatch, it closed behind them and he could hear the sound of their swords demolishing the daemons outside. -Katana- "Before I go, how old are you?" -Garali- "I am only 16, how about you?" -Katana- "I will be turning 20 within a couple of months. You can see me in a second." This entire time they hade been talking, he had not noticed that they had been walking away from the hatch. They turned to another room. It was enormous and had many glass windows. There were strange devices lined up against the wall. There must have been about 20 of them. The androids moved toward these devices and seemed to lock into them. They each in turn made a jerking motion and them secede to move. Them, a woman walked over from the other side of the room and put her hand on his shoulder. -Katana- "Hello, Garali" 


	3. Evaluation

Chapter 2, Evaluation   
  
  
Since Garali was new to the command station, he was shown around. Katana seemed eager to show him everything she knew. First, she explained to him how the androids work. -Katana- "Well, Dr. Slate was really into the idea of using spirit energy. He used them for the dampeners and also used it to make these weapons." She pointed in the direction of the devices that were lined up against the walls in the large room. -Katana- "This here is the docking bay. We warriors leave our suits here. Not everyone is fit to be a warrior though. Some don't have that kind of spirit. Everyone's spirit is different. When we enter this device." She motioned to the other side of the room. He had never noticed that there were similar devices lined up on the other side. These ones were different though. They looked more suited for a person rather then an android. He also noticed that there currently were seven of these devices that each had a man in it. The seemed to be completely out of it, but would jerk around every once in a while. -Katana- "It is pretty interesting. No one is really sure on how they operate. Only Dr. Slate was ever able to build them. In fact, since resent events, this is the last base that still has them." -Garali- "I don't understand? If they don't have these, then do they just rely on the dampeners?" -Katana- "You are getting ahead of yourself, just let me explain everything, then you can ask questions. Okay, so we go into that device and a spiritual equivalent is created on the other side. That is why you may have noticed that some of us wield weapons. The weapon, if any, is also a manifestation of your soul. Right now, we have quite a few soldiers here. We have me, The Black stallions, The Silver knights and Maverick." -Garali- "Maverick? If he isn't in a group like you, then he must be important." -Katana- "Yes, he is very important. He is a very powerful warrior. He doesn't wield a weapon like most; instead he uses his extreme body mass to conduct spirit energy. Oh, I forgot to explain that. Not only are the suits many times stronger and faster then a human body, it also lets us use that energy in other ways too. We are able to levitate, even fly using the power, and we also have personal dampeners so the daemons don't find us." -Garali- "Then why did those flying daemons fallow us?" -Katana- "Oh, well, if we go air born, there is a draw back. Using too much energy lowers our dampeners, and we can be sensed. We also have energy attacks depending on our spirit. Myself, I am able to launch two energy waves or medium strength from my sword. The black stallions are able to form the black stallion wall, and Maverick has immense energy beams." -Garali- "What about the silver knights? What can they do?" -Katana- "Oh, they don't have an energy based attack. They rely on the fact that they are all very fast and are very skilled. Age wise though, I am a very skilled warrior myself. I am respected because I am such a young warrior." -Garali- "How do you become a warrior?" She seemed to laugh a little to herself. -Katana- "Well, we could test you right now to see if you got the stuff." -Garali- "Yes, we should do that right away. I have to avenge my parents deaths some how." -Katana- "Just wait, there are some risks you should know about. This war isn't fun and games you know. Even though we fight in the suits, we are still venerable. Our spirits lie within the suits and, if they are destroyed, our bodies go into a state of dementia." He seemed stunned. He thought that you would just make a new copy. He was about to ask what dementia was, but he knew she was about to tell him. -Katana- "Dementia is a state where your body and spirit are separated. You are brought to the medic ward, and it takes 6 months to recover. It is similar to a coma, except for, those that come out of it tell us of extreme pain and torture. They say it felt like an eternity and some even stop being soldiers afterwards." -Garali- "That sounds horrible, but I still have to do what I can! Please, test me." -Katana- "Okay, lets just get this over with. Step over here, and enter the device." They walked over to where the devices lined the wall. She motioned to an open one and he slid into it. -Katana- "This might hurt the first time." With those words hanging in his mind, she flicked a switch to the right of him. He felt a sucking feeling, like a vacuum or something. His entire body tingled and went numb. He couldn't see anymore. He felt like he was moving through a long tunnel on his back. Then, he fell still for a moment. Just lying there, still, unable to see or hear anything. Soon, the sucking feeling began again. He was being pulled through another tunnel. Suddenly he emerged. He just stood, staring at Katana, who just stood staring back. -Katana- "Well, it seems you might have some warrior spirit after all. We will have to see what you can do. I will suit up and we will meet in the sparring room." He looked downwards and noticed that he was covered from head to toe in metal. He still felt the same, like he was in his normal body. When he brushes his hand across his other arm. It felt like he was touching skin. He wondered what possibilities this could mean for him. When he finally looked in front of him again. Katana stood before him, but this time in her android form as well. -Katana- "Fallow me." She walked over to a glass door, and they proceeded into the other room. This room wasn't as large as the other, but still was substantially large. -Katana- "Stand right there." She said, pointing to a spot on the ground. She then walked over to a similar spot marked off on the other side of the room. -Garali- "When do I get a weapon?" He now noticed that he was unarmed and she had a sword. The odds seemed a little stacked against him. -Katana- "I guess you don't get one. Your spirit didn't make one, so you don't get one. Now, shall we begin?" She lunged toward him. He was amazed at how fast she moved, but even so, he was able to get out of the way. She lunged at him again, but he still managed to move before she got to him. After maybe 5 more attempts she decided to speak up. -Katana- "You can't just keep running away. I daemon will chase you for days, so you need to be offensive." This time when she lunged at him, he stood his ground. He sword cam down on him hard across his chest. It stung like acid but he was all right. He was finally getting the hang of this though and he put both hands around he sword. With one smooth motion, he put he to the ground. By this time, he noticed that there were many people watching them from the great glass window between this room and the docking bay. Katana didn't stay down long but when she regained her feet, she felt in necessary to intimidate her opponent. -Katana- "Fine, I'm not holding back anymore!" Garali was afraid now. He wasn't sure how far this duel was supposed to go. She stood back this time, and seemed to be focusing on something. He sword began to glow a purple colour right before it exploded. Two streams of purple light flew from either side of her blade, blazing towards him. He had no idea what to do. He just put his arms in front of his face and waited for the impact. It felt like being hit with a truck. In fact, it felt more like two trucks, hitting him from either side. The force made him collapse to his knees. -Katana- "There, I am the victor, maybe we can spare again sometime." -Garali- "Wait!" He stood, wobbly, but he stood. -Garali- "I haven't lost yet." -Katana- "Fine, apparently you are stubborn. Don't blame me if this hurts a little." She lunged at him again. This time he was ready though. He stepped the side at the last possible second and her sword passed right beside him, under his arm, which was now slightly risen. He then placed his other hand onto her stomach. He didn't know why, but the motion seemed right. His entire right arm started to tingle. It became very warm. Suddenly a blast of light flashed from his palm and escaped through Katana's back. She groaned with pain as she flew backwards several meters. When she hit the ground, she quickly jumped to her feet. -Katana- "What have you done! This will take months to recover from." By this point he noticed that a lot more people had come to watch. Even the silver nights had returned just in time to see that last move. -Katana- "I'm going to finish this now!" She lunged at him one last time. He wasn't ready for what she pulled next. She seemed to streamline to his right flank. He had left his guard down too long and she took advantage of it. He felt as the blade came into contact with the back of his neck. Suddenly, he just blacked out. 


	4. Dementia

Chapter 3, Dementia   
  
  
He didn't know where he was. He couldn't remember much of anything really. He felt almost empty inside, like he was missing something. He tried to focus, to think clearly again, but his mind kept wondering away into nothingness. He felt pain everywhere in his body. A powerful throbbing, like he had been beaten to an inch of his life. The part that frightened him the most was, besides the pain, he couldn't feel anything else. He finally noticed that he couldn't see anything either. Sound seemed to elude him also. Suddenly, almost forcing him to make sense of everything, he felt a different pain. The throbbing was still there, but this other pain made everything worse. It was as if he was being pulled in every direction. He felt as if his body was about to tear apart. He could think a little more clearly now. He would ask himself questions like: Where am I? Why do I hurt so badly? What is going on? The pain began to lessen a little. He started to drift in thought again, forgetting the hurt. As if struck by lighting, the pain was back again. His head felt like it would explode. He tried to scream and he knew he was screaming, but he still couldn't hear it. The pain continued to fluctuate. He seemed to go in between the lulled state and pained state over and over again. When he was in the pained state, at least he could think a little bit clearly. He couldn't decide which state he liked better. After what seemed like years of this cycling, something of difference eventually happened. This time, after the lulled stage, the pain was different. He still felt the throbbing and the pulling, but this time, he also felt a strong burning inside himself. His mind seemed to be freed for a second and he could think more clearly. He knew what was going on. He knew that he must be in that state of dementia that Katana had warned him about. -Garali- "Why am I here though? Did she kill me or something?" He remembered being struck on the neck. -Garali- "She must have decapitated me. Why would she do that? This is too painful. I can't stand this anymore!" He understood why someone would give up being a soldier after such an experience. In fact, he never wanted to feel this again. He knew that once this was over, he would never do anything this stupid again. Oddly, the pain seemed to subside at this point. He felt almost tranquil. He still could not see or hear but he could feel someone was near. Two people stood before him. -Garali- "Who are you? What do you want?" Again, he could not hear himself speak, but he knew what he was saying. He couldn't hear their words either but he seemed to just know what they were saying. He could tell, before they even spoke, that it was his parents. -Garali's father- "Garali, you can not give up! They took us from you, and you cannot give up so easily." -Garali's mother- "We cannot rest. We are suffering just like you are. You have to do something. You can't give up! We believe in you." These words of encouragement seemed to fill him with a new sense of purpose. -Garali- "What can I do though? Tell me what to do!" They were gone now. He could no longer feel them near him. With them went the feeling of tranquility. The pain returned, this time in full force, as if trying to make up for the lost time. He felt the burning and the pulling and the throbbing, but one thing was different. He kept the words his parents told him in his mind. He focused with all his will. The pain didn't overwhelm him anymore. 


	5. Sacrifices

Chapter 4, Sacrifices   
  
  
Light shown bright from the ceiling. His eyes hurt from the sudden light. Sitting up he took in the surroundings. It was a white room, and he was lying in what he could only assume was a hospital bed. The light from the ceiling seemed a little bright for his tastes. His mouth was dry and he could feel the hunger growing inside him. -Garali- "Well, I guess that was Dementia. I'm glad to be finally done with that." He continued to notice more things in the room. There was another bed to his right but no one occupied it. Those words that his parents had given him had stuck in his mind even now. He doubted that they would ever leave him. His eyes seemed to adjust and his vision fully returned. He turned his body to get out of the bed and he accidentally knocked over a tray from the table he had not noticed immediately to the right of his bed. It didn't seem to make sense at first but something felt wrong with what had just happened. It came to him as if a bullet to the head. He had not heard the tray fall. His hearing had not returned yet or else he had lost it all together. Someone else must have heard the sound. A man ran by the doorway, but stopped just long enough to notice he was awake, and the tray now on the floor. The man's lips moved, as if trying to speak, but he couldn't hear his words. Garali pointed to his ear. -Garali- "I can't hear anything!" The man wore a lab coat, as if he belonged in an all white-painted environment. He moved as if he was in some sort of hurry. He approached Garali and took an object from one of his coat pockets. Garali didn't have time to analyze the device before it was inserted into his arm. He assumed it must be a shot of some kind. Suddenly his hearing returned. He almost wished it hadn't because the first thing he heard was the sound of sirens blaring. -Man- "We must hurry. The base is being evacuated. You are a warrior right? I will take you to the docking bay before I leave for the transport." He didn't have time to reply to any of what was said. The lab dressed man bolted for the door and he was left with the only option of fallowing him. They ran through many long corridors. Many with glass windows to rooms he didn't have time to look in to. Lights and colours flash around him as he turned corners. -Man- "Normally it takes days to get your hearing back after dementia. That shot I gave you brings it back immediately, but you might become sick later." They turned another corner and he finally recognized the room. He was within the docking bay. Katana and the Silver knights stood, as if waiting, in their suited forms. -Katana- "Oh, thank god you made it. I'll take him from here sir, thank you so much." With those words the man left back down the many halls. -Garali- "What is going on? Why are we evacuating?" He hadn't noticed at first, but all of the devices that normally lined the walls here had, for some reason, been removed. There stood only one device now, but it seemed different then the others, and the fact it didn't have a pair gave him even more questions. -Katana- "I don't have time to explain right now. You have to suit up." She pointed to the lone device. -Katana- "Quickly, into the Tamer." He decided it not wise to question her authority. The sounds of the sirens only increased his pace. Once positioned inside what she called, the Tamer, Katana flicked the switch that was to the right of him. He didn't feel the sucking this time. Instead it was more of a gentle cooling on his entire body. The heat started at his feet and it rose through him. He looked down and to his surprise, instead of being put into an android; it was being constructed around him. Once it was finished, he felt the same as he had before. The metal still felt like the skin underneath. -Garali- "I don't understand?" -Katana- "I'll explain on the run, we have to leave." He heard as the large hatch he had, what must have been six months ago, flew through to enter this building, now slide open. The knights streamed out of the new opening. -Katana- "We must go now." Taking his hand, she guided him out, into the sunlight. He saw, as many daemons were trying to run towards the base, but were stopped by what he could only assume was the Black stallion wall. -Katana- "Okay, listen good, this is very important. We are leaving the base because the dampeners were knocked out during the last electrical storm. We are all heading for another base not too far from here. The entire base, including the commander, are now on the transport. We warriors will be sensed by the daemons if we are airborne, but to take to the ground would delay our arrival. The transport has a heaver version of the dampener. It will not be detected by the daemons and anything within about 20 meters won't either. That is the important thing. You cannot leave the protection of that dampener. If you do, you are as good as gone. The daemons will swarm you if you try to take to the air again." He felt the seriousness in her voice. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the transport rise into the air from the other side of the base. -Katana- "We must go immediately." He never had time to ask any of his many questions. He just assumed he would have time to ask later. They moved to the transport and he felt the dampener pass by, as he got closer. The Silver nights also came within the transport's protective barrier. Someone else was there, another android. This android was already next to the transport and it was larger then the others. It seemed to be maybe two and a half times bigger then any of the others. The metal of this one had a brown tint to it. He knew, almost instantly, that it must be Maverick. The transport began to move, and they all moved with it. It wasn't moving too fast for him, but he always had the fear of falling behind. -Garali- "I don't understand. Why are the suits surrounding us?" -Katana- "I told you before about the model of the Tamer that Dr. Slate gave us, right? Well, we could never really rebuild it. The last one of its kind is in the transport. We couldn't use that version because we don't have time to set them up after moving them. What we did was make these modified versions. They allow the spirit to manifest around the body. It puts your body into a state of rest, so that you can focus on your spirit. It is the only way to use it as transport as well as for combat. This version is somewhat less efficient, because it is a lot more dangerous. If you are killed now, you will die. There is no more Dementia. You can't even get hurt now, because you body won't clot or heal while in this state of rest. Try not to take any unnecessary risks." He was about to ask her another question but he noticed that some of the flying daemons had arrived on their rear. -Katana- "What!? How did they find us? Okay, we need to defend the transport. Remember, don't fall out of the dampener's radius." He was about to charge into battle, but Katana motioned for him to wait. She then pointed to behind him, where Maverick had moved into the open. He put his left arm in front of him, and pointed his palm toward the daemons. His entire arm seemed to light up and a beam flew from his hand. The daemons, still bobbing back and forth as they flew, took the blast with no attempt to move out of the way. Large, bloody explosions filled the air and he watched as the wounded fell to the ground. To his surprise, for every daemon that was obliterated, there was still countless fallowing them. -Garali- "Hey, I can do that too. Let me help!" She turned to him and have him a look that would freeze water. -Katana- "No, you will over do it and injure yourself!" He didn't want to have her think he was nothing, so he pointed both of his palms towards the daemons. He felt that same tingling he had felt when he had hurt Katana six months ago. This time both his arms felt that same feeling as they began to gather their energy. The light came from his hands now too, and more daemons were destroyed, thanks to his efforts. The recoil of the blasts knocked him back and his arms felt like fire. They looked like busted circuit boards now, instead of the sleek metal that once covered them. -Katana- "I told you!" He was about to reply, but another beam from Maverick glistened towards the daemons. There were more explosions and more fell to their deaths, but their numbers didn't seem to lessen. -Katana- "That was the last one. They are too close. We will have to fight hand-to-hand." He didn't like the sound of that, but he felt it his duty to stay strong. A daemon charged at him. He could see its look of death in its eyes. He moved quickly though and was able to get out of the way, moving to the side of it. As it past by, he hit it with both his hands, balled into fists, directly into its back. When he turned to see more on coming daemons it was already too late. Another daemon was already on top of him, and he was plummeting towards the earth. It watched him, and he put his hands onto its underbelly. The light flew from his hands again, forcing the daemon from him. With great discomfort, the force of his attack also caused him to hit the ground. Another daemon was coming at him now. He tried to move, but his arms hurt too much. He braced himself for the impact that never came. The daemon was knocked away, only inched from where he lay by a purple blasts. -Katana- "Need a hand?" She stood over him now, with an outstretched hand. -Garali- "Thanks. Wait! Why did you do that? Now we are both done for." -Katana- "Yes. This is defiantly not looking good. We will have to take the rest of this trip on foot now." -Garali- "On foot? Can we really do that?" -Katana- "It won't be easy, but I'm not giving up yet. There are three towns still protected by dampener between here and the new base. I am sure, if we pace ourselves, we will be able to make it to each in time to recover." -Garali- "What if we run into daemons?" -Katana- "We most likely won't, but if we do, I will take care of them. Now come on. The ship is gone and the only thing we can do is move. Every second is important, so lets not waste time." With that, Garali rose from where he lay and fallowed Katana. She looked as if she knew where she was going so he trusted her. -Garali- "Are the Black stallions going to be all right?" Katana turned to face him. -Katana- "They gave their lives for us. We wouldn't have had time to save the Tamers or the faculty or even you, if it wasn't for them. I will never forget their bravery." -Garali- "I pray for their souls" He bowed his head, and said a little prayer to himself. -Garali- "I just have one last question for you. Why are there so few women? So far, I have only seen you." -Katana- "I guess you wouldn't know, huh? Well, since the human population is so low, the government, what is left of it, has decided it law to have all women within proper age, to spend at least five years repopulating the planet." -Garali- "Well, it has only been two years so far, so you couldn't be done. Why aren't you doing that?" -Katana- "See, I am an exception. I am barren. I can't have children, so my contribution to the war effort is this." -Garali- "Oh, I'm sorry" After that, he felt uncomfortable asking her any more questions. 


	6. The first stop

Chapter 5, The First Stop   
  
  
The landscape was nothing more then rolling hills of death and decay. Everything was dust now. There seemed no source of life in this vast wasteland. The scorched earth looked like desert. What used to be great cities looked like lost ruins to him. They talked very little while traveling. They had to focus their entire spirit just to keep moving. -Katana- "We are almost there. Only a couple more hours and we should arrive." Garali's spirit was uplifted for a second, but the fact they weren't there now brought him back down. His arms still looked just as war torn as before and they still felt like they were on fire. -Garali- "Katana, where did the Tamer get its name?" She seemed to hesitate at this question. Almost like she wasn't sure of the answer herself or what he was trying to ask. -Katana- "Dr. Slate was a very intelligent man, but he didn't have a way with giving things names. He named the dampeners what he did because they dampen the spirit, making it undetectable. He also named the Tamers what he did because they tame the spirit. Normally a person's spirit is raging around them and can't be fully utilized. The Tamers tame that force and makes it more focused. Is that what you meant?" He thought it was funny that a genius would give his inventions such simple names. -Garali- "Yes, that is what I wanted to know. I have another question. Why did you kill me when we were sparring?" She hesitated again but this time she seemed angry more then puzzled. -Katana- "You hurt me. The blast to the stomach was rather uncalled for. I guess that, and the fact I couldn't believe someone your age could escape my moves. I over reacted a little but I had to spend my twentieth birthday in the infirmary thanks to you." He felt bad for a second, but then he remembered the even worse pain he had to endure while in Dementia. -Garali- "How can you say such things? Have you ever been in Dementia? How dare you feel sorry for yourself!" She seemed to feel sorry for a second. -Katana- "Okay. I have never felt that before. I've never been in Dementia. Maybe I won't be so hasty next time. I am sorry. I would have felt awful if you hadn't made it out in time. I couldn't live with myself if the first person I saved, I ended up killing. I guess that might be the reason I felt it necessary to save you from that daemon and leave the safety of the transport's dampener." They walked quietly for a while. He wasn't sure how to respond to such an apology. He felt the burning in his arms increase. -Garali- "Ouch!" His arms started sparking now. There were energy bolts flashing across both his tattered arms. Katana turned to see what the mater was. -Katana- "Dam, you really damaged yourself there. Try to hold it together. We don't want the daemons to sense that energy." He tried to focus on controlling the outbursts, but it made his arms hurt even more. Suddenly, she turned to face him again. -Katana- "Stay back!" They were at a ridge now, and she motioned for him to stay behind her. She moved towards the ridge and looked over it. -Garali- "What is it?" -Katana- "It's daemons, a lot of them. I just hope that none of them sense you." He felt his stomach drop. He was in no condition to fight. How many could she take? She backed up a couple of steps. -Katana- "They sensed you! They're coming over the ridge." -Garali- "How many?" -Katana- "Not many, I can take them." Her words sounded confident so he trusted her again. A daemon flew over the ridge, but Katana was ready. She plunged her sword into its underbelly. After suspending it in the air for a couple of seconds, she flung it towards the ground. More daemons came over the ridge and she battled them, blow for blow. She was doing rather effectively. Then, after about ten daemons later, she was thrown beside Garali. She had taken a blow from one of the daemons. -Garali- "Are you okay?" -Katana- "I'll be fine. Only two more stand." She was right. Two daemons stood about to pounce on them only a couple meters away. Katana stood and raised her sword. It started to glow an eerie purple. Those two familiar blasts flew from her blade as the daemons lunged toward them. Both of the daemons were blow far away from the two of them. Katana seemed to have a victory look to her, but only for a few seconds, before she collapsed to the ground. -Garali- "Are you alright?" -Katana-"I'll be fine. I'm just glad that was the last daemon to sense you. The others should have moved on by now." He looked up from her and to his horror; one more daemon came over the ridge. What scared him even more, it looked different. This daemon looked humanoid. It only had two legs and the two scythe-like claws came off of the outside of its arms instead, like weapons. -Daemon- "I will kill you both!" Both Garali and Katana looked at each other with astonishment. -Katana- "You can speak?" -Daemon- "Shut up, I will kill you now." It looked determined, but before it could attack, it jerked its head upwards. It seemed to become frightened. Its mouth opened and a low growl erupted from its throat. To both of their relief and surprise, it decided to turn tail, and run. They couldn't believe what had just happened, but then they heard flapping behind them and their relief vanished once more. Slowly, they both turned their heads to see what scared the daemon off. They both stumbled backwards a couple steps when they saw it. It was another android. This one was much different though. The metal of this one had a gold tint to it and it had two wings that looked like they might belong to some greater being. Slowly, it came down to meet them eye-to-eye. Garali noticed the weapon it carried. Again, it seemed out of the ordinary. It was a green rod, not much longer then one's arm, with a gold five-point start at the end. -Android- "Hello, who are you?" Katana and Garali both seemed to have many questions on their minds. They gave each other looks back and forth before they answered. -Garali- "My name is Garali." -Katana- "And my name is Katana. We are just warriors passing by. We accidentally got separated from the transport ship. We were on our way from the command station delta to command station Beta." He had never heard her give them names before, but apparently, they were necessary now. -Android- "I see. So you will be traveling through the town where I live. I will take you there. You both seem a little hurt to be walking these lands unprotected. By the way, my name is Colleen." Immediately, the only question on Garali's mind was; is she barren also? What is the story behind her? -Katana- "Wait! Can we ask you some questions?" -Colleen- "You can ask as many questions as you wish, as soon as we are safe. Now please, fallow me." She took off into the air again. After about 30 meters, she stopped and turned. -Colleen- "Oh. I forgot. You can't fly without being detected right?" She landed and waited for us to catch up. They walked the rest of the way with no further incident. Garali and Katana could barely move, so talking could wait. Garali was glad to see the dome shape rise up, over the horizon. This one was made entirely of glass, as if it was just quickly built for protection. As they got closer, he could see the hatch that would be to the docking bay. It was not as large or grand as the one in the command station. It was about 4 or 5 meters high and wide. He felt the barrier pass by him and he felt safe again. He worried though. The last few dampeners hadn't really done their job properly. Colleen pushed a button to the right of the hatch, and it opened. He was surprised at the size if the room. It was not anything like the other docking bay. It was room size, maybe no bigger then his room, or even the room he had stayed in during Dementia. There stood only one Tamer, at on side of the room. Colleen took to the Tamer first and the other two waited. It looked as if the android deconstructed around her. Its pieces didn't seem to actually go anywhere; they just went away. She stepped away from the Tamer to let Katana take her place. Colleen looked around eighteen or nineteen years old. It came to him that he must be one of the youngest warriors. Again, the android suit seemed to fall away from her and her normal self came out of the device. He had never had time to actually take note of what the Tamer looked like before. He was always in a rush or eager to move on. Now, he had all the time in the world. It looked similar to a glass tube. It swooshes open as the front moves behind the back half. There are many wires that come off of the device. There was an even larger cord that runs from the top of the device. Around the tube was black machinery, almost like motors or something to that sort. The switch was inside the tube but the door would open and close slow enough so that someone else could hit the switch for you if need be. -Katana- "Don't just stand there, come on." He hadn't noticed they were waiting for him. He stepped into the Tamer and turned on the switch. It felt just as it had when the suit came on except backwards. The heat began across his entire body and the coolness ran from his head down to his feet. He was glad to finally be himself again. The Tamer swooshed open and he fell forward. Once on the ground, he couldn't stand. He felt as if he had no energy and bile was rising in his throat. -Katana- "Come on. You're just not feeling well because you haven't had time to recover from Dementia. You are probably really thirsty and hungry. A good nights sleep will do you well. Oh, and the shot probably made you sick to your stomach too." -Colleen- "Okay, I can take care of you guys for tonight. My house has extra beds and the people here are rather nice to me because I protect them from the daemons." Garali could hardly move and Katana and Colleen were forced to half carry him. The room had another door to it. Colleen, again, pushed the button to its right and it opened. The site surprised him. It wasn't like the base at all. It wasn't even like his home. It was as if a small town had just been placed inside a dome of glass. The buildings looked modern, with their bricks and shingles. -Colleen- "My house is the closest one to the docking bay." She pointed to a house no more then 10 meters to the left of where they stood. It looked no different then the other houses, except it was somewhat larger. Garali was taken inside and placed in front of a table. Everything in the house didn't look at all like what he was used to. He was tried to take in the surroundings but he was too busy keeping himself from throwing up. Katana sat next to him. -Colleen- "I'll get something for us to eat." Garali noticed that, even in all of what he saw, the food was still automated. She brought tones of food to the table. More then he could possible eat. Once Colleen had sat down, the questions commenced. Garali was too busy stuffing his face to add any comments but he listened just as hard. -Katana- "Okay, can I ask you some questions now?" -Colleen- "Sure, what do you want to know?" -Katana- "Well, can you explain how you got to become a warrior?" -Colleen- "Oh, you want my story huh? All right, we have time. It was about two and a half years when the daemons came. I caught wind of talk of sending women off to be child bearers. Apparently, 16 was the minimal age, and I had just turned 16 a couple of months earlier. I didn't like the idea of being used for 5 years. I still had time though; they weren't going to pick the women up for a couple more months. I started researching the new tamer and dampener devices. I learned about how they work and all the theories behind them. When it was a couple weeks before they arrived, I decided to run away. Leaving the Dampeners would be dangerous, so I decided that I would use the Tamer. I snuck into the docking bay and used the device. I used the wrong one though and my body was left inside the bay. My escape was futile but I didn't know. I ran for all I was worth, but I didn't have a warrior's spirit at that time. Unlike what you saw me in before, my suit was a flimsy, mistake for an android. I could barely move but I was determined to find a way out. After a couple of hours, I was attacked by daemons. Apparently, I didn't have enough strength to put up Dampeners. I was killed and put into Dementia. After I awoke, they were going to give me a couple of days to recover. They still insisted on sending me away. I snuck out again. I couldn't even hear so they didn't expect me to do something like that. I found the Tamers again. This time, it was different though. I had wings, and a staff, and I could move with such ease. The doctors said that my spirit must have found new power when recovering from Dementia. They were planning on sending me to a command station, but I refused. I still didn't want to be used. Instead, I decided to stay here and protect this town. They tried to persuade me otherwise, but I stuck to my guns and they gave up. They say that my model of the android is at a different level then all the others. Since I can fly without using spirit energy, I can keep my dampeners up at all times." Garali stopped chewing to ask a question. -Garali- "So, you aren't barren then?" -Colleen- "What?" -Garali- "You can have children then?" -Colleen- "I know that. What exactly are you getting at here?" -Garali- "No, never mind. I'll just keep eating." He felt his face turn red and he figured he could hide it with food. -Katana- "He is just curious because my reason for being outside the New World Program is because I am barren." Again, she used an official term he had never heard her use before. The New World Program: it must be the law forcing the women to repopulate the planet. He was curious why she wouldn't just use these terms the first time she explained everything. -Colleen- "Oh, I'm sorry then." -Katana- "No, it is quiet alright. I got one other question. What was with that Daemon? Do you know anything about it?" -Colleen- "Yes, I know him. He is always around here, stirring up trouble. He can talk and he says there are other daemons that can talk, just like him. Mostly there are only the dumb, life sensing daemons, but some are smarter. Some of the daemons are special, they can think and plan." -Katana- "You have conversations with this daemon?" -Colleen- "No, not really. He usually just says things when we are fighting. He is always trying to lure me into a trap. He hates how stupid the other daemons are. I would say he is rather strong, but I win every time. He always finds some way of slipping off before I can finish him off." -Katana- "Has he said anything of use? Anything that could show weakness or give us an edge?" -Colleen- "Well besides the fact that most of the daemons are really stupid, no. He usually just complains and taunts a lot." Garali was finally getting full. He had never eaten so much food in his life. -Garali- "Okay, I am full now. Thanks for everything. It was fantastic." -Katana- "If you are done eating, then you should probably get some rest. We have a big day, and I would like you as recovered as possible." -Colleen- "I'll show you to your room." He got up and almost fell over. He still needed to be half carried. Colleen took him up the stares to a second floor. He was given the closest room on the left. -Colleen- "We will be down stares for a while still if you need anything." She left back down the stares and he collapsed onto the bed. It was not like the bed he was used to. This one was much softer and he fell asleep almost immediately. He had just enough time to wonder what they were talking about while he slept away his pain. 


	7. New Horizons

Chapter 6, New Horizons   
  
  
When he awoke, he wasn't surprised it was because of sirens again. He had gotten used to it, seeing as this was the third time and he hoped he'd be able to find a place where he could fall asleep without having to worry. The sirens told him exactly what to do. He sprang from his bed and half ran, half stumbled down the stairs. He saw Katana waiting there for him and he knew that she would inform him of what the problem was as they ran. -Katana- "Come on, we have to suit up." He wondered where Colleen was, but he just assumed she was ahead of them. Katana wasted no time. As soon as she had yelled to him to fallow, she was already turned and escaping the confines of the building. He knew the drill, and fallowed without a thought about what he had to do. Katana yelled over her shoulder. -Katana- "The dampeners were knocked down." He again didn't seem surprised; in fact, he was just annoyed by the situation. What was the point of the dampeners if they are always getting knocked down? He hardly remembered where he was, but he was used to just fallowing blindly. The door to the docking bay was left wide open. It wasn't long before they were both within the walls of the bay. Katana slipped into the Tamer. He watched, still amazed by the process, as the metallic force rapped around her figure. -Katana- "Stop day dreaming, it's your turn." Garali made his move into the Tamer and within moments was also ready to go. -Garali- "Where is Colleen?" -Colleen- "I'm right here." She waited for them, already in her angelic form, in the doorway to the outside world. -Garali- "Are we going to evacuate?" -Colleen- "Evacuate? No, I'm just going to fix the dampener. You two mind covering me while I fix it?" The way she spoke, she made it seem like this sort of thing happened all the time. She also didn't seem to like wasting time either and left the dome. Katana was hot on her heels, forcing him to fallow or risk being left behind. Once outside, Katana drew her sword, waiting for the daemons to arrive. Colleen left the ground, floating up to the top of the dome. She moved to something that looked to him like a satellite dish. It was toppled over, the main part laying a few feet away from its supports. Once near it, Colleen started to put together frayed wires and melting together torn supports. -A familiar voice- "What are you doing? Just give up already. The daemons will be here any minute. You don't have enough time to fix that." Immediately, Katana and Garali turned, only to see what Colleen already suspected. It was that same talking daemon from before, standing only 10 meters or so from them. For some reason, it hesitated from attacking. -Colleen- "Get out of here, you can't take us alone. I don't need your annoying voice keeping from my work." -Daemon- "I broke that. When did I say you could fix it?" -Colleen- "Do we really have to do this dance again? Just leave before you get hurt." Their squabbling put Garali to ease. The way she talking to him, he suspected that she had no fear for him. Garali let himself believe that this talking daemon was not of any threat. He even noticed Katana drop her guard a little. -Daemon- "Not this time. I ruined it enough and they will be here before your done. In the mean time, I'll just take care of these two myself." An odd smile seemed to creep across his face, if you could call it a smile, or if you could even call it a face. Those words seem to put the guard back into Katana's stance and even made him get more ready to defend himself. -Colleen- "Don't worry about him you guys. He won't attack. He knows he can't take all three of us. He ran before and he is just going to do it again. In the mean time, he will try to mess with your mind. Just ignore him." Again, the way she spoke continued to calm his nerves. Both Katana's and his guard dropped entirely. Katana's blade became sheathed again and she stood as if trying to intimidate the opposing daemon. Before speaking again, the daemon let out a fierce growl from deep within its throat. -Daemon- "I can't believe you aren't afraid of me. If not of me, you should be worried about the numerous daemons about to come over that ridge and make you eat your words. So please, just wait here for your dooms." Katana's intimidating look deepened. Garali was starting to get annoyed with its lies and raised his palms towards the daemon. -Garali- "I advise you leave now, and leave your words behind." -Daemon- "What, you're talking now? Please, don't make me laugh. I don't fear you." Garali decided that this daemon needed to be taught a lesson and started to charge up. Light flickered from his arms as the spirit energy gathered in them. Katana saw this and joined in by drawing and charging her weapon. The light flickering from her blade was purple while his arms gathered white light. He wasn't sure if the colour made any real difference, but he did know the daemon was about to taste pain. The daemons growl this time seemed to hit both of them in the stomach with its depth and intensity. -Daemon- "Fine! There is no reason for me to get hurt more then necessary." -Colleen- "Good, because I've just finished." Both Garali's and Katana's eyes left the daemon to see what had happened behind them. The dampener was up again, the dish standing on top of the supports instead of lying beside it. Colleen was standing now. She flicked a switch and the dish began to rotate. The sound of energy flow resonated from the dampener until a sudden flash. When the flash died, the dampener's barrier was left around the dome as it was before, and the daemon that had once bothered them, now nowhere to be seen. -Colleen- "Told you he was all talk." She floated down again, to meet them face-to-face. -Colleen- "Wow. Good job scaring him. I don't think he knew you were bluffing." Garali hadn't been bluffing, but they way she said it made him think that his attack wouldn't have done anything. -Colleen- "He does this every once in awhile. It never works, but it is defiantly a nuisance. So, now that that is dealt with, are you going to be leaving?" Katana and Garali looked at each other for a second, as if asking each other that same question. -Katana- "Yes, I guess we will. We have a lot of ground to cover, and not enough time to just stand around." -Colleen- "Good. Then do you mind if I go with you?" -Garali- "Don't you have to stay here and stop that daemon from doing more damage?" Her question didn't seem to make any sense in his mind. How could she just leave these helpless civilians? -Colleen- "Actually, I think the only reason he continues to disturb this place is because I live here. If I go with you guys, I'll be helping them even more. Anyways, you guys need my help more then they do. There is no way you'll survive out there without my help." When she put it that way, he was glad she had asked after all. -Katana- "We could use some protection. All right, you can come with us. We leave immediately. Do you need anything?" Apparently, he didn't need to be asked this time. Katana was willing to make all the decisions on her own -Colleen- "No. In times like these, no one has anything of value anymore." -Katana- "Fine, just fallow me, I've got the maps up here." She pointed to her head before started to walk around the dome. Colleen and Garali fallowed without a doubt. After a couple of minutes of nothing but walking, the silence was finally broken. -Colleen- "Are we suppose to stay quite this entire time? This is going to be a very boring walk if we don't even talk." Garali hadn't really noticed the quiet, but after it being pointed out, he too wondered why they never talked while walking. -Katana- "I need to concentrate. If you two want to talk between yourselves, go right ahead." They looked at each other for a second but didn't really have anything to talk about. -Colleen- "All right, when I get bored, I'll tell you." He felt a little insulted but understood that they really didn't have that much to say to each other. Periodically through out the trip, Colleen would take flight and scout the area. When everything was clear, she would land and assure them there was nothing in sight. After much walking he started to notice the surroundings. The land really was barren, nothing living anywhere. Garali remembered when trees grew and animals ran across the land. He had always taken them for granite but now he missed them almost as much as his parents. The endless stretch of unchanging land began to get to his head and he had to start some conversation to take his mind off of it. -Garali- "So, are you bored yet?" -Colleen- "I'm okay. Is there something on your mind?" Besides his earlier thoughts of having nothing to discuses, he currently had something to ask. -Garali- "Actually, there is. You have experienced dementia right? I did too, so I was just wondering what you can remember about it." He recalled his experience and really didn't want to think about it. He hoped she would be more open to such a topic. -Colleen- "I don't remember too much about it, only that it was the worst thing I've ever felt. I remember what I felt whenever I'm in pain. I remember how I survived that and therefore should be able to survive anything. I also remember when I'm fighting that talking daemon. I make sure to fight my hardest because I never want to feel dementia again." It made sense to him. Dementia must be a state of repair and change. It must have been then that she became what she is not. He remembered seeing his parents, but he really wasn't sure if anything was really that different about him. -Colleen- "I know we should really talk more, but I'd rather not talk about it anymore." -Garali- "I agree. I don't like to think about what I was feeling during that six months." -Colleen- "Well, I have to do some more scouting. Maybe we can talk it a moment." Even with that said, when she returned from her scouting, little talk past between the two of them. Like the last time he had to travel, it was very uneventful. After what seemed like forever, Colleen finally returned from one of her scouting treks with news of the next town within sight. Each of them increased their pace with anticipation for a good, long rest. 


	8. Hidden motives

Chapter 7, Hidden motives   
  
  
They must have been traveling for days on end, with not much of anything. Relief rushed over them as they saw the outline of a dome quickly approaching. It looked similar to the last dome they visited. It was basically a glass dome surrounding a modern town. The brick and shingle houses felt warming and welcoming to the travelers. -Katana- "We don't know anyone here, so we might need to ask around for a place to stay. We lucked out last time when we met you." Her look traveled over to Colleen. A minute later they were a couple feet away from the docking bay entrance, but Katana wanted to finish explaining rules before they entered. -Katana- "Just let me do the talking. I have some military statues and that might get us some respect. Don't do anything that might disturb the locals. Remember, we are intruding on them and most civilians believe that warriors will only bring danger to them." -Colleen- "We aren't going to make them mad just by being here. No one was upset when I brought you guys in and they didn't even notice when I left. We will be in and out without anyone even noticing us." Both of them looked as if they were very sure about themselves. Without warning the door opened with a sudden swooshing noise. A man stood with a smile and his hand on the button he had obviously just pushed. -Smiling man- "Hello! You must be tired from your long journey. Please come in. We will treat you to a nice meal and warm beds." Garali laughed to himself when he realized that both Colleen and Katana were wrong. He made sure he was the only one that could hear it though. -Katana- "We are just passing through. You really don't have to do that. We don't want to disturb your quaint little town." -Smiling man- "Nonsense! You are guests at out town and we will treat you with the utmost hospitality." The man motioned for them to enter the room. On entry, Garali noticed that it looked almost identical to the docking bay they had just left behind. -Smiling man- "Please, you must be tired. Un-tame yourselves and come with me." Garali was ecstatic at the thought of being about to sleep here because he would not have to worry about sirens in the morning. With out hesitation, he moved within the Tamer and turned it on. It wasn't long after that both Katana and Colleen fallowed his lead. He felt good knowing that he was able to make an executive decision, instead of just fallowing blindly. -Katana- "Kind sir, what is your name?" The man stopped for a second, his hand about to push the button to the door leading inwards. His smile faded for the first time since they had seen him. -Man- "My name? Yes, I guess a good host should have a name. My name is Shamus and I will be your usher for the evening. Please, I'm sure you can't wait to put your feet up. Fallow me." After his small introduction, the smile returned and the same inviting hands pushed the button for the door and waved them in. It was just as Garali expected, modern buildings similar to those previously visited. -Garali- "Which house will we be staying in?" Katana gave him a look that reminded him that he was supposed to let her do the talking. -Shamus- "Not far. Just a couple houses down." Something seemed out of the ordinary about the town. He couldn't put his figure on it but he felt it wasn't exactly right. On top of that, Shamus was being a little too eager to get them inside. He was starting to let his worries get the best of him until they arrived at the door of the house they must be staying in. -Shamus- "Here we are. I'll also be your cook for the evening. Is there anything particular you would like to eat?" Garali was about to mention something but another look from Katana left him with his mouth open but with no words to fallow. -Katana- "We don't mean to be of any trouble. What ever is most convenient would be perfect." -Shamus- "Really, this is no problem. If you insist on making this easier on me, I'll just cook you my specialty." They moved in through the doorway; fallowing Shamus' lead. Garali decided it appropriate to take in the interior this time. He remembered that the last house was rather cramped but homey. Upon entrance he noticed that this house design was much different. It opened up into a large, single room that looked like a dinning room. There was a large table and seats around it set for five. The rest of the room was bare and there were only one door and stairs leading up. He assumed the door must go to a kitchen, otherwise how would they eat? -Shamus- "Please, sit. I'll bring you food in a moment." Each took a seat at the table. Shamus disappeared into the door that Garali had assumed lead to a kitchen. -Katana- "This is much more generous then I expected." -Colleen- "Yes, and didn't you find it weird that there were no people on the streets?" Garali figured that must have been what felt out of place earlier. -Katana- "That was odd. I'm worried these people may be afraid of us. This Shamus character seems to be trying to get rid of us as fast as possible. I advise we just eat and leave. There is no need to inconvenience them any further." -Colleen- "I agree. A free meal is good enough. We can go without rest. How far till the next town?" Garali felt like he was being left out of the conversation. As if his opinion didn't mater. -Katana- "Not much farther then this town from the last. I'm sure we will be able to make it there without incident." -Colleen- "All right. That is what we will do. We shall leave after we finish eating." -Garali- "May I say something?" Finally speaking up, both of them looked at him and he felt his face becoming warm. -Katana- "Yes. You don't have to ask to talk." Garali felt conflicted with her response because of the earlier looks she given him. -Garali- "I was really looking forward to that warm bed. Shamus is being rather hospitable. Why not take advantage of it? We already walked for days. Can we take a short break?" His plea didn't seem to have any affect on either of their facial expressions. He defiantly felt out of place. Having two female, experienced warriors that also happened to have an age advantage for company made him silent most of the trip. He finally wanted his voice heard, but with no facial response, he decided it better to just go with the flow. -Katana- "We could do that. Lets just decided after we eat. Maybe Shamus will calm down after and let us be." He felt relief, after her words weren't as painful as he expected. Shamus walked through the door, finally breaking the feeling of embarrassment Garali had. Shamus carried four plates, each with what looked like mashes potatoes and chicken. It might not have been the greatest "special" they could have thought of, but after the traveling, each of them would have been willing to eat wood. He placed a plate in front of each of them and then another in front of himself before taking a seat. -Shamus- "Please, eat up! I'm sure you could use the nourishment." Garali wasted no time digging into the food he was given. Katana and Colleen both hesitated for a moment, but soon fallowed his lead, again. That same feeling of satisfaction would have filled Garali if he hadn't been so busy stuffing his face. Katana put down her fork after a couple minutes of intense eating. -Katana- "Shamus, aren't you going to eat?" His same smile, that was on his face from earlier, slipped away again. -Shamus- "Oh! OF course I'll eat." He picked up a piece of chicken and bit down hard. -Shamus- "Delicious. Please, there is more if you want it." Garali couldn't wait for that soft bed. He felt his eyes becoming heavy with anticipation for the sleep he hoped would fallow the meal. Even with Shamus eating away, he still kept his eyes on the three of them, and whenever he could, he would crack a smile. It must have been the chicken, or maybe the long walk, but Garali was defiantly feeling ready for bed. -Katana- "I think we might take you up on the "warm bed" offer. I'm feeling a little tired." Shamus dropped what he was eating, and rose from the table. -Shamus- "I just want to say thank you. Bringing you in will defiantly get me rewarded." He let a small laugh escape his lips. -Shamus- "I will also be your slave driver for the evening." They each left their food to stare blankly at Shamus. It was only mere moments before each of them blacked out. 


End file.
